Photo update: Laos

I thought I would post a few photos as (for the first time in a while) we have a decent internet connection. Click on any photo for a bigger version.

I appreciate that we are both conspicuously absent from the photos and will try and change that in a future post.

Anyway, in rough order we have

• Luang Prabang, Laos
• Nong Kiaow, Laos
• On our way to Vientiane from Nong Kiaow

Luang Prabang, Laos:
- LP at night
- Monks collecting alms first thing in the morning
- Umbrella seller
- Lanterns at the night market

Nong Kiaow

- Smiley Lao girls look through the boat window as we fill up with diesel
- Nong Kiaow river boats
- Nong Kiaow mountains

On the way to Vientiane from Nong Kiaow
- the 'air-conditioned bus' from NK to LP (5 hours)
- stalls near LP bus station
- a bus at sunset in LP bus station

Laos

As you might have guessed we flew to Laos in the end - 1 hour on a plane vs. 3 days with drunken backpackers on a boat - it wasn't a difficult choice.

We stayed at a beautiful mid-sized town called Luang Prabang for a couple of days and then took an 8 hour boat ride north to the tiny village of Nong Kiaw. The boat was about 4 feet wide, 40 feet long and had 4 tiny chairs in it for the passengers. It's a beautiful, if slightly treacherous, journey to Nong Kiaw - against the current and attempting to avoid the rocks or running aground. At one point the river was about 8 inches deep and so the husband and wife(?) crew pushed the boat along for a while with a bamboo pole. I think they underestimated the weight of 4 western tourists and accompanying backpacks(!)

Laos must be one of the most laid back and beautiful countries in Asia. We're fairly convinced the government is feeding sedatives to the people through the drinking water. Most problems are greeted with 'Oh well' - including any of our whines about mosquitos or the lack of tap water.

I'll leave that there as we need to run for the night bus to the Laotian capital, Vientiane. More soon.

Photo update from Thailand

A few photos from the trip to Asia. Thailand seems to be overrun with Western backpackers and fish and chip shops and so we are now running away to Laos.

There are a few options for travelling to Laos: I wanted to do an uncomfortable 3 day boat trip up the Mekong river however after a night on the train to Chiang Mai, I am coming round to Reena's view that flying is the best option.

Anyway, here are a few photos from Bangkok. Take care. S&R.

Photos:

1. Steve in Bangkok train station waiting for the train to Chiang Mai
2. A man washes a puppy in a market in Bangkok
3. Car parts on Chinatown
4. The massive reclining Buddha in Wat Pho
5. Roof tiles at Wat Pho

Snow glorious snow!

As lovely as it is to have 8 inches of snow in London, it doesn't help when you need to get going on a cycling trip to Istanbul. Obviously cycling to Portsmouth tomorrow is out of the question but even getting a lift there would involve some tricky driving for R's mum and so, after some debate, we have decided to hang out in Asia for a few weeks and catch the ferry to Bilbao on 4th March. Other than resolving the snow issue, this also moves the cycling trip further into spring which can only be a good thing.

As such, assuming that Heathrow's runways are clear, we will be flying to Bangkok on Wednesday 4th, and then heading North to Chiang Mai for some trekking / cookery lessons / to lie in a hammock.

The snowman in the photo is, believe it or not, Reena's first ever snowman. I should also credit our friend Saloni for his eyebrows.